Insider: What to watch in tonight's Pacers-Cavs playoff game

Pacers insider J. Michael breaks down what Indiana did to contain the Cavs offense in their Game 1 win.
J. Michael/IndyStar

Apr 15, 2018; Cleveland, OH, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson, right, and guard Victor Oladipo (4) react late in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game one of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports(Photo: David Richard, David Richard-USA TODAY Sports)

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CLEVELAND — The answers are all the same for the Indiana Pacers entering Game 2 vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight.

What will the Pacers have to do differently to return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse with a 2-0 lead?

“Continue to play our tempo,” said Victor Oladipo, who was the best player on the floor in Game 1 with 32 points in the 98-80 rout. “Continue to play hard on both ends of the floor like we’ve been doing all year.”

What do they expect from LeBron James, who didn’t take a shot until less than two minutes was left in the first quarter?

“They’re going to be in attack mode,” coach Nate McMillan, as well as everyone else on the roster, said in some form or fashion during Wednesday morning’s shootaround at Quicken Loans Arena. “We’re going to be in attack mode tonight.”

And what does Lance Stephenson, who was issued a technical for his hard foul on James, think about it?

With those expected answers out of the way, here are three things to look for tonight

>>Watch where the offense begins for Cleveland. When they bring the ball up the court, are they picking it up early and having to start outside of the operational area like in Game 1? In other words, is the Pacers’ defense extending successfully and forcing them to make longer passes that leads to their wings getting into those passing lanes? Is James getting downhill in the halfcourt? When he’s able to do that, it requires help rotations by the frontline and that’s when James gets them in foul trouble and/or finds spot-up shooters like Kyle Korver for 3-point looks because of the collapse.

Cleveland Cavaliers' Kevin Love (0) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers' Thaddeus Young (21) in the first half of a first-round playoff series in an NBA basketball game, Sunday, April 15, 2018, in Cleveland.(Photo: Tony Dejak, AP)

>>More actions run involving Kevin Love. The Cavs are going to try to establish him in the low post. Six of his eight shots were 3-pointers on Sunday and he had just nine points. When Kyrie Irving was the No. 2 option to James, Love could get away with that kind of output and the Cavs would still win. With Irving gone, Love has assume more of that burden. But that’s also on coach Ty Lue to run more sets to get him post-ups vs. Thaddeus Young, which won’t be easy. The Cavs have to screen much better to get Love position on the low block and likely will run more dribble handoffs and high post-low post action between Love and James so they can better play off one another.

Cleveland Cavaliers' JR Smith (5) drives to the basket against the Indiana Pacers in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 15, 2018, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)(Photo: Tony Dejak, AP)

>>J.R. Smith was the only real spark off the bench in terms of getting his own shot. If Lue goes to Smith more, or even decides to start him, it’s an indication that the Cavs are desperate for that spark. The downside with Smith is that he’s a horrendous team defender and a shaky individual defender at best. Whoever he’s matched up with should be used in ball screen action as much as possible. The Cavs are switch-heavy and likely will be forced to trap the ball with Smith rather than allow him to switch and try to guard someone 1-on-1 in space. That’ll create open looks for the Pacers as long as the ballhandler reads it correctly.

>>Gambling off Jeff Green and Myles Turner. Each are mostly left alone in the defensive rotations by the opponent and will get open looks. Turner cashed in for the Pacers by making 6 of 9 for 16 points and crashing the boards when guards switched onto him, grabbing eight rebounds. Green bombed for the Cavs, missing all seven of his shots and failing to score in 27 minutes. Both are tasked with making the defenses they’re facing pay for their strategies. In the event Cleveland alters their philosophy and decides to cover Turner more honestly, the next logical option to gamble off would be Young.